Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!
1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 4; 1 Samuel 5; Psalm 77; 2 Corinthians 8
Church … Take A Minute To Read This Blog …It Is Short!
“I Want You To Excel
Also In This Gracious Act Of Giving”
Scripture
7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.
11 … Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.
Observation
Giving
is always a test! I don’t know about you but giving and being generous is a
struggle for me most of the time. God says, “Test Me” by giving! I know that He
promises that every time I give with an eager heart that He is going to bless
me way more than what I gave. He promises to do it. It is the only area in life
where God says to put Him to the test!
Yesterday,
as I had the opportunity to encourage people to give $1 for a Hawaiian Shave
Ice telling them that the proceeds was going to go for Crystal Snow to help her
go as a missionary to the Amazon jungle it was interesting to watch the
responses.
True,
the cups were small and the actual cost of making one of those delicious mouth
watering, brain freezing, and absolutely refreshing drinks did not add up to
one dollar … but!
Some
people gave very generously and gave more than a dollar and many gave when they
didn’t even need to do so. (I was telling everyone that the children’s shave
ice (not teenagers) was free and that the adults and teenagers should give one
dollar if they could).
A few (very few) acted like the treats should
be free and that it was painful to give a little dollar … even if it was to
help a missionary go to the Amazon jungle!
I
think this ministry will be a learning experience for everyone.
Every
time we have Hawaiian Shave Ice there will be a small cost and the proceeds
will go to help out a missionary or a mission organization reach the lost for
Christ!
Paul
was educating the church at Corinth to be generous in their giving and we are
going to do the same at Christ Fellowship!
Let
me share with you … Giving … it is something that I struggle with too!
Here
is my example and your example for how we should give. It is found in 2
Corinthians 8:9,
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could
make you rich.
Application
This week I plan to do a better job of giving in all
areas of my life. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, I know that You promise to bless me in proportion to how I give. Help
me to be generous this week. Don’t let me be stingy. Show me who I need to
serve and let me do it with all my heart. Show me where I need to be generous
and help me to give eagerly. You are and have been so generous to me. I am
blessed. Help me to be a blessing to those around me.
http://www.enewhope.org/bible/
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